Starbucks: The Promise of Privileged living with Every Cup
"Advertising may be described as the science of arresting human intelligence long enough to get money from it." — Stephen Leacock
Rationale for Including Starbucks Advertisement:
Our group wanted to tackle how advertising/marketing agencies manipulate our understandings of the difference between privileges and our rights. When considering the definition of a privilege, i.e., a special advantage, immunity, permission, right, or benefit granted to or enjoyed by an individual, class, or caste, we see how Starbucks has successfully manipulated their marketing group on an unconscious level. The success of this advertisement is providing the consumer with the belief that a high-class "status" is in reach for everyone, so long as you pony up four dollars for a Starbucks coffee.
1st Advertisement: A Class System Literary Lens: The cool, simplistic, upscale picture is one that shows that class matters. What's responsible for Starbucks success in our Western world and now the Eastern according to Forbes is not the fact that their coffee is outstandingly superior to its competitors, but the fact that what they provide for their customers is an experience amid the "privileged" community. This privilege is not reserved for people with special passes or a huge bank account, but for consumers who believe that a four-to-five dollar coffee is NOT at all that egregious of a cost. The business casual dress of the young woman and the man add to this more "chic" version that attracts so many people. Also, by including the laptop computer and engaged patrons in the background, as well as the use elegant font and black and white for the photograph helps the ad to imply that being part of this community means being part of the digital age, in which people don't simply sit around a sip expensive coffee, but they also engage in meaningful, even productive activity. This type of activity separates them from the older, working class people sitting around the McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts reading newspapers and trying to figure out their cell phones while drinking less expensive, albeit lower quality coffee. This photo makes a clear case for the class of people Starbucks wishes to reach, with the implication that if you do not have the disposable, non-discretionary income to sink into a brew, then you probably don't belong in a Starbucks anyway.
2nd Advertisement: The Faulty Logos of Starbucks Advertisement The second advertisement is one that has a logical fallacy, the one that claims that the "you get what you pay for" is a truism that is often times a simple marketing scheme. Starbucks argues, with this ad, that there is a reason for the higher prices--i.e., the quality of the product far exceeds that of any other chain, so the price of the coffee must attend to the increase in quality. It is because of this scheme that Starbucks is considered to be an "aspirational" business, as consumers are led to believe that their success in the world can be measured by number of visits to a Starbucks location.
Recommendations for Teacher Use: Both parts of this print ad could be used to discuss audience and tone. By examining the photo ad, students could make inferences as to who the company is targeting, including age groups, races, and socio-economic status (class). Important prompts to address would be 1) Why is the image in black and white?; 2) How does the dress and overall appearance of the subjects in the ad suggest a certain type of person?; and 3) How does the setting of the photograph create ambiance, or an environmental "tone"? The print ad opens the door for discussions on logical fallacy and language manipulation as well. This ad would be helpful in teaching students how to read through the image and the text of advertisements to identify who is being targeted and what aspects of human nature are being appealed to by the advertisers from an Aristotelian perspective. For example, does this ad hold any appeal for younger African-Americans? Elderly people? Further, students should analyze the impact of brand recognition as conveyed by the single word, "Starbucks." How has that brand name gained so much distinction that it not only represents coffee, but supersedes the signifier (coffee): "It's not just coffee, it's Starbucks." Is this company suggesting that the beverage referent be changed from coffee to "Starbucks," ala "Coke" to represent all caffeinated colas in the south? Will we one day ask a friend to join us for a cup of Starbucks? This type of in-depth analysis of the use of text/slogans opens up many avenues for exploring manipulation of language in all types of texts.
"Advertising may be described as the science of arresting human intelligence long enough to get money from it."
— Stephen Leacock
Rationale for Including Starbucks Advertisement:
Our group wanted to tackle how advertising/marketing agencies manipulate our understandings of the difference between privileges and our rights. When considering the definition of a privilege, i.e., a special advantage, immunity, permission, right, or benefit granted to or enjoyed by an individual, class, or caste, we see how Starbucks has successfully manipulated their marketing group on an unconscious level. The success of this advertisement is providing the consumer with the belief that a high-class "status" is in reach for everyone, so long as you pony up four dollars for a Starbucks coffee.
1st Advertisement: A Class System Literary Lens:
The cool, simplistic, upscale picture is one that shows that class matters. What's responsible for Starbucks success in our Western world and now the Eastern according to Forbes is not the fact that their coffee is outstandingly superior to its competitors, but the fact that what they provide for their customers is an experience amid the "privileged" community. This privilege is not reserved for people with special passes or a huge bank account, but for consumers who believe that a four-to-five dollar coffee is NOT at all that egregious of a cost. The business casual dress of the young woman and the man add to this more "chic" version that attracts so many people. Also, by including the laptop computer and engaged patrons in the background, as well as the use elegant font and black and white for the photograph helps the ad to imply that being part of this community means being part of the digital age, in which people don't simply sit around a sip expensive coffee, but they also engage in meaningful, even productive activity. This type of activity separates them from the older, working class people sitting around the McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts reading newspapers and trying to figure out their cell phones while drinking less expensive, albeit lower quality coffee. This photo makes a clear case for the class of people Starbucks wishes to reach, with the implication that if you do not have the disposable, non-discretionary income to sink into a brew, then you probably don't belong in a Starbucks anyway.
2nd Advertisement: The Faulty Logos of Starbucks Advertisement
The second advertisement is one that has a logical fallacy, the one that claims that the "you get what you pay for" is a truism that is often times a simple marketing scheme. Starbucks argues, with this ad, that there is a reason for the higher prices--i.e., the quality of the product far exceeds that of any other chain, so the price of the coffee must attend to the increase in quality. It is because of this scheme that Starbucks is considered to be an "aspirational" business, as consumers are led to believe that their success in the world can be measured by number of visits to a Starbucks location.
Recommendations for Teacher Use: Both parts of this print ad could be used to discuss audience and tone. By examining the photo ad, students could make inferences as to who the company is targeting, including age groups, races, and socio-economic status (class). Important prompts to address would be 1) Why is the image in black and white?; 2) How does the dress and overall appearance of the subjects in the ad suggest a certain type of person?; and 3) How does the setting of the photograph create ambiance, or an environmental "tone"? The print ad opens the door for discussions on logical fallacy and language manipulation as well. This ad would be helpful in teaching students how to read through the image and the text of advertisements to identify who is being targeted and what aspects of human nature are being appealed to by the advertisers from an Aristotelian perspective. For example, does this ad hold any appeal for younger African-Americans? Elderly people? Further, students should analyze the impact of brand recognition as conveyed by the single word, "Starbucks." How has that brand name gained so much distinction that it not only represents coffee, but supersedes the signifier (coffee): "It's not just coffee, it's Starbucks." Is this company suggesting that the beverage referent be changed from coffee to "Starbucks," ala "Coke" to represent all caffeinated colas in the south? Will we one day ask a friend to join us for a cup of Starbucks? This type of in-depth analysis of the use of text/slogans opens up many avenues for exploring manipulation of language in all types of texts.